Electrical connector



Feb. 25, 1964 F. H. COWE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 INVENTOR fkw/vc/s A4 ("0W5 BY W gg/y ATTORN EYS United States Patent 3,122,407 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Francis H. Cowe, Devon, Conn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Winchester Eiectronics, Incorporated, Norwalk, (301111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 18, 1951, Ser. No. 159,839 Claims. (Cl. 339-217) The present invention relates to an electrical connector and it relates, more particularly, to an electrical connector of the miniature type.

An object of the invention is to provide a miniature type electrical connector incorporating a number of closely spaced contact elements having enlarged terminal portions to facilitate the making of electrical connections thereto. Another object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector which is constructed so that contact elements having enlarged terminal portions may be employed without increasing the spacing of the contact elements which is ordinarily employed in electrical connectors of the miniature type.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector having contact elements with enlarged terminal portions which are removably secured in the connector body in a simple and effective manner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and be better understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective and in partial cross-section of a portion of an electrical connector embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevation in vertical cross-section of a contact element for the connector shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1 with one of the contact elements installed therein;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4a is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken along the line ta-4a of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5a is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken along the line 5a-5a of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 4a;

FlG. 7 is a fragmentary view in section, taken along the line 77 of FIG. 4a; and p FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in section taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 4a.

For the purposes of clarity, the electrical connector shown in the accompanying drawings have been drawn to a greatly enlarged scale, approximately 10' to 1. It will also be understood that although female contact elements have been shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, male contact elements may be substituted therefor if desired.

The particular connector illustrated is designed for making connections in conjunction with printed circuitry and consequently, is relatively small, with the space available for making wiring connections thereto being limited. For example, the body of an electrical connector embodying the invention may have dimensions of approximately 3.7 inches in length and .30 inch in width and may carry as many as thirty-five contact elements. The contact elements are mounted in bores of approximately .072 inch in diameter with adjacent bores being oifset relative to each other by a distance about .075 inch and being staggered on opposite sides of the center line of the connector body. By such an arrangement, the centers of ad- "ice jacent bores may be spaced by a distance as small as .10 inch. As a result of the close spacing of the contact elements and the small size of such elements, it becomes dif ficult to make proper wiring connections to such a connector.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is a connector body 1% containing a series of closely spaced bores 11 extending therethrough and which may be molded from a suitable insulating material, such as diallyl phthalate with a mineral filler.

Each of the bores in the connector body is adapted to receive therein one end of a contact element 12 which is inserted into the bore from the top of the connector body as indicated in FIG. 1. Each of the contact elements has an enlarged terminal portion 13 at the top thereof of an appropriate size to receive a bared end of a conductor wire (not shown) which is to be connected thereto. The insertion of the contact element from the top or nonmating side of the connector body permits the terminal portion to be made larger than the remainder of the contact element and the enlarged terminal portion may be of sufficient size to accommodate two or more wires.

The bottom of the enlarged terminal portion forms a shoulder 14 and a shaft or neck-like portion 15 which is flattened on opposite sides extends downwardly therefrom. At the lower end of said flattened portion, there is an enlargement 16 which extends outwardly beyond the sides of the contact element and forms a pair of locking lugs 16a on opposite sides thereof.

The lower end 17 of the contact element which extends downwardly from the locking lugs, is generally cylindrical in shape and is provided with a hollow, split section at its end which is shaped to receive the prong of a mating contact element therein.

Enlarged recesses 18 are formed in the top of the connector body surrounding the end of each of the contactreceiving bores and each of the recesses has upstanding vertical walls which extend to and define an opening in one side of the connector body.

As shown best in FIG. 3, the contact-receiving bores are generally cylindrical in shape and each of the bores has two oppositivel disposed vertical slots 20 which extend downwardly from the top of the bore to a point intermediate its ends. The slots which are shaped to receive the locking lugs 16a on the contact element and permit insertion of the contact element into the bore, terminate at shoulders 21 on the interior of the bore. Slots 22 which are angularly disposed relative to the downwardly extending vertical slots, are formed in the bore and extend upwardly from the lower end thereof, terminating at shoulders 23 which are located above the shoulders at the ends of the downwardly extending slots. The shoulders at the ends of the respective slots are spaced apart by a distance slightly more than the height of the locking lugs on the contact element and the ends of the respective slots which overlap form an opening 24 through which the locking lugs on the contact element can pass upon angular movement of the contact element relative to the base and the connector body. Such angular movement of the contact element in one direction positions the locking lugs on the contact element under the shoulders 23 (at the ends of the upwardly extending slots) and thus, prevents removal of the contact element from the connector body in this position.

Angular movement of the contact element relative to the connector body in the other direction is prevented by retaining member or clip 25 which engages with the flattened portion of the contact element. The retaining clip is brought into engagement with the contact element by inserting it in the recess in the top of the connector body through the opening in the side thereof. The retaining clip has oppositely disposed spring arms 26 which engage with the fiat sides of the shaft-like portion of the contact element and rotation of the contact element is prevented by engagement of the clip which engages with the vertical sides of the recess. Thus, the contact element is held in a fixed position in the connector body. In order to permit outward movement of the spring arms of the clip as it is moved into or out of engagement with the contact element, spaces 27 shaped to receive the fingers are formed in the sides of the recess in the top of the connector body. The retaining clip is held against vertical movement between the bottom of the recess in the top of the connector body and the bottom of the enlarged terminal portion of the contact element so that it cannot be accidentally dislodged. An aperture 28 may be provided in the outer end of the clip to receive a tool for use in removal of the clip.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an electrical connector of the character described, the combination which comprises:

(a) a connector body of insulating material having an upper end face and a lower end face with a contactreceiving bore extending through the body between said end faces,

(11) said bore being defined by a side wall containing at least one set of angularly displaced channel-shaped recesses extending lengthwise along the bore from opposite ends thereof;

(c) said channel-shaped recesses terminating at shoulders within the bore with the respective recesses of each set overlapping and adjoining the other recess of the set within the bore with the overlapping portions thereof being in communication with each other,

(d) a contact element removably carried by the connector body and extending into the contact-receiving bore from the upper end face of the connector body,

(e) a lug extending from the contact element intermediate its ends,

(1) said lug being shaped to pass through the recess extending along the bore from the upper end face of the connector body and being positioned to pass beneath the shoulder at the end of the adjoining angularly displaced recess, and

(g) a removable retm'ning member engaging with the contact element and the connector body for preventing rotation of the contact element relative to the body,

(11) said retaining member being accessible from the exterior of the connector body for removal from engagement with the contact element. 2. In an electrical connector of the character described, the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein 5 (a) the upper end face of the connector body contains a recess surrounding the end of the bore therein,

([2) said recess being shaped to receive the retaining member and having an opening in one side of the connector body through which the retaining member can pass in removal thereof from engagement with the contact element.

3. In an electrical connector of the character described,

the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein (a) the contact element includes a contact-engaging portion formed at one end thereof, 8

(b) said contact-engaging portion being located within the contact-receiving bore element and making a close fit with the side wall of the bore.

4. In an electrical connector of the character described,

2-3 the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein (a) the contact element includes (1) an enlarged terminal portion formed at one end thereof and (2) a flat-sided shank portion formed beneath said terminal portion, and

(b) the retaining member comprises a spring clip having spring fingers engaging with the fiat-sided shank portion of the contact element,

(c) said clip being located beneath and being held against lengthwise movement relative to the contact element by the enlarged terminal portion thereof.

5. In an electrical connector of the character described,

the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein (a) the contact element includes (1) a contact-engaging portion formed at one end thereof, (2) said contact-engaging portion being located within the contact-receiving bore and making a close fit with the side walls thereof, (3) an enlarged terminal portion formed at the other end of the contact element and (4) a flat-sided shank portion formed beneath the terminal portion and (b) the retaining member comprises a spring clip having fingers engaging with the fiat-sided shank portion of the contact element beneath the enlarged terminal portion of the contact element whereby said enlarged terminal portion engages with and prevents lengthwise movement of the retaining member relative to the contact element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A CONNECTOR BODY OF INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING AN UPPER END FACE AND A LOWER END FACE WITH A CONTACTRECEIVING BORE EXTENDING THROUGH THE BODY BETWEEN SAID END FACES, (B) SAID BORE BEING DEFINED BY A SIDE WALL CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE SET OF ANGULARLY DISPLACED CHANNEL-SHAPED RECESSES EXTENDING LENGTHWISE ALONG THE BORE FROM OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF; (C) SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED RECESSES TERMINATING AT SHOULDDERS WITHIN THE BORE WITH THE RESPECTIVE RECESSES OF EACH SET OVERLAPPING AND ADJOINING THE OTHER RECESS OF THE SET WITHIN THE BORE WITH THE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS THEREOF BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER, (D) A CONTACT ELEMENT REMOVABLY CARRIED BY THE CONNECTOR BODY AND EXTENDING INTO THE CONTACT-RECEIVING BORE FROM THE UPPER END FACE OF THE CONNECTOR BODY, (E) A LUG EXTENDING FROM THE CONTACT ELEMENT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, (F) SAID LUG BEING SHAPED TO PASS THROUGH THE RECESS EXTENDING ALONG THE BORE FROM THE UPPER END FACE OF THE CONNECTOR BODY AND BEING POSITIONED TO PASS BENEATH THE SHOULDER AT THE END OF THE ADJOINING ANGULARLY DISPLACED RECESS, AND (G) A REMOVABLE RETAINING MEMBER ENGAGING WITH THE CONTACT ELEMENT AND THE CONNECTOR BODY FOR PREVENTING ROTATION OF THE CONTACT ELEMENT RELATIVE TO THE BODY, (H) SAID RETAINING MEMBER BEING ACCESSIBLE FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE CONNECTOR BODY FOR REMOVAL FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTACT ELEMENT. 